This Startup Raised $13 Million To Create A Gadget That Simulates The Effects Of Coffee
Thync, a consumer technology and neuroscience startup based in Los Gatos, Calif., just announced that it's raised $13 million in funding from investors including Khosla Ventures, according to Bloomberg. The funding was raised over a period of three years from Khosla and others, but Thync isn't sharing the names of its other investors at this time.
Thync's first product, a Bluetooth device to be worn on the head, will hit the market in 2015. The company described the device's design as "small" and "beautiful," but wouldn't comment further on what it would look like or how it would be worn.
But more important than how the device looks is how it should make you feel.
The goal is to make the wearer feel relaxed and energized, Thync co-founder and CSO Jamie Tyler told Business Insider. People wearing the device will likely experience the sensation within a few minutes, which would either be a worry-free relaxed state or an energized feeling similar to what you'd feel after drinking a few cups of coffee or a large energy drink.
Thync is describing the device as a healthier alternative to beverages like coffee, since it can simulate its effects without requiring that you put any chemicals into your body. The device achieves these results by tapping into the same neural pathways that are responsible for generating that hyper energized feeling you experience after consuming caffeine.
The company tells Business Insider that the technology is very safe, and emphasized that safety is always Thync's first priority when it comes to developing its product.
Thync's upcoming device will be one of few that are designed to tap into your brain when it launches next year. Neurosky's Mindwave headband says it can make your mind feel relaxed and is being advertised as a sort of de-stressing tool.